Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Leftover Tuesdays #5

Since I have some stewed quinces sitting in the fridge I thought they might be the ideal candidate for Leftover Tuesdays - this is an event that encourages us to "recycle leftovers into wonderful and amazing new dishes" and this month it's hosted by Pam from Project Foodie.

Quinces do partner well with creamy things so I thought I'd add them to a baked custard tart made with my never-fail and very short sweet shortcrust pastry - but you could easily substitute the store bought variety.

Once the tart is cooked I top it with the syrup from the stewed quinces that I've reduced - it forms this light translucent jelly skin over the tart as it sets.

Butter and flour the tart tins - be sure to use the deep fluted loose-based pans rather than the shallow.

Roll out the pastry and line the tins - prick the base with a fork then line with baking paper filled with weights.

Cook in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for about 10 minutes - remove the paper and weights and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the pastry looks dry. You may need to lower the temperature a little if they seem to be browning.

Prepare the custard:Whisk the sugar, vanilla extra, egg and egg yolks until the sugar has dissolved, then add the cream. Continue whisking until amalgamated.

Place a spoonful of custard into the base of each tin, then top with the diced quince - you only want the quince pieces to just cover the bottom of the pan. Pour over the remaining custard and return to the oven.

It's a good idea to bake the tarts on an oven tray in case the custard rises and spills over.

Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the custard has set and the top has lightly browned.

Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before removing.

You can serve it as is, or glazed with the reduced juices from the stewed quince.

To reduce the juice, place a cupful into a small pan and boil rapidly until reduced by three-quarters - let it cool slightly and it should start to thicken. Pour this over the cooled tarts and let it set before serving.

7 comments:

Now, is that vibrant or is that vibrant! Your sweet paste recipe does read as being very foolproof, and something I reckon anyone could make with ease. My only critisism (if you could call it that) is that I'm pretty sure quinces a winter fruit (please correct me if I'm mistaken)